Football Outsiders on the Packers

Slate is running a series of articles this week from Football Outsider's Aaron Schatz.  In today's piece, he identifies three teams poised for a rebound in 2007, one of which is the Packers:

The Packers have some problems on offense—a rookie running back, questionable receivers—but even in old age Favre is still an above-average quarterback. It's also worth noting that Green Bay broke in two rookie offensive guards in 2006; all five starters return this year, and as a rule, offensive lines gradually improve as players gain experience working together.

The heart of this year's Packers, however, will be the defense. The Pack has a number of young, improving players in its front seven—defensive ends Aaron Kampman and Cullen Jenkins, linebackers A.J. Hawk and Nick Barnett—backed by two very good, experienced cornerbacks. If Favre would stop bellyaching for a minute, he might notice that the Packers have built him a winning team. That winning team just happens to reside on the defensive side of the locker room.

I'm still having a tough time getting a read on this weekend's game.  Right now, it seems to me we could see anything from an Eagles' blowout to a "statement" victory by the Pack.